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Old 21st January 2009, 02:26 PM   #6
Aleksey G.
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 70
Default Yannis, translation quote origin

Yannis, I think it was Yevgeny Yevtushenko, a russian poet and novelist.

Original quote I think was:
"Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful. If it is faithful, it is not beautiful."

He might've meant something else when he repeated "If it is faithful, it is not beautiful.", maybe his own conflict and faith, he was a traveling poet and a creative person who was not afraid to speak his mind during the soviet regime, so KGB reported some "anti-soviet" activity on his part, by that they probably meant his ability to talk about things that are not exactly in line with the popular at the time.

I like your version better, shorter.

Absolutely true and applies here perfectly
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